Tim Sini Is Next Suffolk D.A.; Sheriff Race Too Close to Call

Timothy D. Sini, a 37-year-old Democrat serving as the Suffolk County police commissioner, handily won the race for Suffolk District attorney Tuesday night. Mr. Sini received 62 percent of the vote over Raymond Perini, a Republican. Christopher Garvey, who ran on the Libertarian ticket, received 1 percent of the vote.

The race for Suffolk sheriff was razor thin. With all 1,052 districts reporting at 11:30 p.m., just 1,354 votes separated Errol D. Toulon Jr., a Democrat, and Lawrence M. Zacarese, a Republican. Both candidates had about 49 percent of the vote, with Mr. Toulon holding a slight edge. If he were to win, he would be the first African-American elected to a countywide position in Suffolk. A third candidate, Peter J. Krauss, who ran as a Libertarian, earned 1.6 percent of the vote.

The Suffolk County sheriff runs the county's two jails. Mr. Toulon is a former deputy commissioner for the New York City Department of Correction. Mr. Zacarese is the assistant chief of the Stony Brook University Police Department.

In his victory speech around 10:30 p.m., Mr. Sini promised to restore trust in the district attorney's office, held by Thomas Spota, who is under federal indictment. "Together we have ushered in a new era in criminal justice in Suffolk County — an era of integrity, fairness, and doing the right thing," he said. He thanked voters for giving him "this awesome responsibility, this awesome privilege" and promised to "return the office to the honorable institution it once was."

"Now is not the time to rest on our laurels," he told his supporters. "It's time to get to work. Those of us who stand for justice, morality, and doing the right thing need to do that work," he said, adding that he will start by assembling "a top-notch transition team" to do a full assessment of the district attorney's office.

About the Author

Taylor K. Vecsey returned to The East Hampton Star in 2014. She was the founding editor of East Hampton Patch news site and also ran Southampton Patch. A Water Mill resident, Ms. Vecsey is a member of the Bridgehampton Fire Department, where she volunteers as an emergency medical technician.